


things will never go our way in the end

by WreakingHavok



Series: after [2]
Category: Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Cuddles, Gen, Post-Fallen Kingdom, Tea, experiment work, talk of trauma but none actually happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 13:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WreakingHavok/pseuds/WreakingHavok
Summary: “I thought the island was behind me. I was almost over it,” Zach laughs, humorlessly.“I don’t think we’ll ever be over it,” Gray says, and Zach looks at him with an expression he can’t place.Or,There are dinosaurs roaming the earth once more, and this affects Zach and Gray Mitchell.





	things will never go our way in the end

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from “Long Way Down” by Robert DeLong.
> 
> When you have no WiFi for thirteen days, you write. 
> 
> I tried out a new method with this one - I wrote out the dialogue before anything else. I’m not exactly happy with it. Please tell me what you think! 
> 
> This is post Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and not a sequel to ‘nightmares & little brothers’, it can be read as a stand-alone.

The T.V. news anchor sounds scared, even through his carefully practiced professional mask. The Mitchell family sits frozen in the living room, watching the footage play, the words slamming into their ears like bullets.

“. . .News reports of dinosaurs roaming the city are not exaggerated - the threat is very real. The dinosaurs are traveling fast, ranging from small ones that may attack your pets, to flying pteranodons that are capable of snatching up humans, to the highly dangerous raptor -“

“That’s enough,” Maddie says, voice shaking, pushing the power button on the remote and making the screen flash black. She takes a deep breath and sits back into the couch cushions.

Her husband makes a noise of disapproval from his armchair. “We need to know what’s out there, Karen, I mean what if -“

“Scott,” Karen hisses, and looks pointedly at the two boys on the couch beside her. Zach and Gray are staring at the black screen with wide eyes, and Gray’s hands have tightened around Zach’s waist. Her oldest son is breathing heavily, the hand wrapped around Gray’s arm sporting white knuckles.

Scott pauses, understanding washing over his features. “Okay,” he says, softer. “Okay, I can look it up later. It’s fine.” And she’s glad - so glad that he doesn’t fight her. They understand now. Their children are more important than being right.

Zach and Gray don’t seem to have noticed the interaction.

Karen stares at them for a couple more seconds, debating what to do, before standing up with a loud sigh. “I’m going to make some tea. Boys, do you want any?” She stretches as she says this, watching them start back into reality. Neither of them loosen their grips.

“No,” Zach says, monotone. He doesn’t even look at her.

“. . . Mint?” Gray asks, sounding so small and scared it breaks her heart.

“Sure thing, honey,” she says, stepping forward and ruffling his hair. She looks at them for one second more, then walks into the kitchen, thoughts whirling.

Over the clatter of mugs and the rushing of water she hears Scott say, “I’m going upstairs to do some reading. You gonna be okay down here?” She knows that ‘reading’ means frantically researching everything he can find about the dinosaurs and how to protect his family. She’ll probably have to force him to go to bed.

“Mmhmm.” Zach sounds no different.

“Yeah.” Gray’s still quiet.

“Alright. Tell your mother if you need anything.” 

Karen puts the water filled mugs in the microwave. The whirring fills her ears and she stares through the doorway at her kids.

“I love you, Dad.” Gray reaches one arm out for a hug.

“Bye.” Zach doesn’t move.

“Goodnight, boys.” Scott pauses at the bottom of the stairs, and then she can hear his footsteps receding upwards. She opens the microwave after a minute of long silence, then puts the tea bags in the heated mugs. She picks up her mug in her left hand and Gray’s in her right, and walks back into the living room.

“Here, Gray. Careful, it’s hot.” She bends down, and Gray’s hands unwrap from around Zach to grab the mug. Her oldest son shivers almost imperceptibly at the loss of contact. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She asks, watching as Gray immediately shoves his shoulder into Zach’s side.

“Yeah, Mommy. Thanks.” Gray sips the tea, smiling softly at her. She can still see the fear in his eyes, even though he’s trying to appear fine.

“Zach?” His eyes slowly move to look at her, and she’s scared by how glazed they are.

“. . .I’m gonna stay down here with Gray.” He says quietly, clearly trying not to let his voice shake.

“Okay.” She says, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Okay, honey. I love you - call us if you need anything. I’m going upstairs.” 

“It’s past your bedtime, Mom.” Gray teases, and Zach’s hand comes up to rest in his hair.

“Indeed it is - 9:00 o’clock already? I’m pushing it,” she jokes back, blowing him a kiss. It feels weird to be doing something so normal when they’d just been handed a bombshell.

“Night, Mom.” Gray tightens his grip on the mug and settles in even closer to Zach.

“Goodnight, Gray.” She turns to walk up the stairs. They’ll be okay - she hopes.

“. . . I love you, Mom,” Zach says, and she turns back to look at him. She can see that he’s trying, and she leans down and kisses the top of his head. 

“I know you do, Zach. I love you too. Don’t stay up too late, okay?” She strokes his hair a few times and then walks to the stairs.

“‘Kay.” Gray calls, but she’s already halfway up the staircase so she doesn’t answer. 

Gray watches her go, feeling warm from the tea and Zach’s body heat and the pile of blankets wrapped around them. Zach, however, is shaking. 

“So,” Gray says, reaching out with one hand to grab Zach’s wrist, tracing lines up and down his forearm.

“So what?” Zach says, trying way too hard for a joking tone of voice and ends up sounding angry. Gray sips his tea again before answering.

“They escaped,” he says quietly, the implications of what that means still sinking in.

“I know that. I saw.” Zach bites out.

“There are dinosaurs here,” Gray says carefully, and doesn’t miss how Zach’s body shudders.

“They aren’t here, Gray. They’re far away.” He’s trying to convince himself, Gray can tell. He takes a deep breath, trailing his fingers down Zach’s arm until he reaches his hand and grabs it lightly.

“Yeah, but - pteranodons can fly really far, and who knows how long it’ll take for them to spread -“

“Shut up, okay?” Zach snaps. “They’re not - they’re not coming anywhere near here.” His voice breaks halfway through the sentence.

“You don’t know that,” Gray says stubbornly, feeling dread creep up his spine. They could be anywhere. “The news said they were spreading fast.”

“Just shut up!” Zach yells, not loud enough to be heard by their parents but startling Gray all the same. He flinches back, drops of hot tea spilling on his hand.

“. . . Sorry,” he whispers, staring at Zach, who’s breathing irregularly and staring at the floor. He feels water building up behind his eyes, and blinks furiously to keep it at bay.

“It’s fine,” Zach grinds out. His knuckles are white around the blanket he’s clutching around his shoulders.

There’s a silence, and then - “You don’t sound fine,” Gray ventures, and this time he’s prepared as Zach whirls to face him.

“Okay, so I’m not fine! How on earth could I possibly be fine?” Zach pauses, breathing out a hysterical laugh. “There are dinosaurs, Gray!” He says, gesturing vaguely with his hand and letting the blanket drop from his shoulders. “Dinosaurs with teeth and wings and claws, and they could be anywhere! Anywhere, and I can’t protect you from something I can’t see -“

Zach breaks off, eyes wide, realizing that Gray’s trying hard not to cry.

Gray sniffs, cheeks reddening with embarrassment, wiping his eyes with his free hand. Zach drops his hands, pulling his knees up to his chest. There’s a horrible silence as he tries to control his breathing. 

“I’m sorry,” he eventually says, sounding tired. “I’m sorry, Gray, I just - I thought I’d never have to do this again.”

“Yeah,” Gray says, staring blankly at the floor. 

“I thought the island was behind me. I was almost over it,” Zach laughs, humorlessly.

“I don’t think we’ll ever be over it,” Gray says, and Zach looks at him with an expression he can’t place.

“You know what I mean,” Zach says. “And now they’ve followed us. I’m just -“

“You’re scared?” Gray interrupts. 

“No.” It’s an obvious lie. Zach is still shaking, his breathing erratic, his eyes darting around the room and he flinches at every car that goes by the window.

“Zach,” Gray says dryly.

“Okay, fine. I’m a little nervous,” Zach snaps, another indicator he’s not okay. 

“Zach,” Gray repeats.

Zach is quiet for a few seconds, then looks up, face twisted up like he’s going to cry.

“I’m scared out of my mind, Gray,” he says, so quietly Gray can barely understand his words.

Gray doesn’t know what to do - he’s surprised that Zach’s actually talking to him, usually he gets yelled at and a door slammed in his face whenever he tries to get Zach to talk about serious topics.

Gray sets his mug on the coffee table and scoots over to sit next to Zach again. He throws his blanket around both of their shoulders, and pulls Zach’s discarded one over their laps. He hooks his arms around Zach’s arm, pulling his legs up and snuggling into Zach’s side.

Zach brings his other hand up and rests it on Gray’s head, absentmindedly playing with the curly locks. They don’t talk - they listen with hyper-awareness to every noise outside, watching the shadows move across the closed window curtains. Soon, they’re both sleepy and warm, and the threat doesn’t seem so close anymore

It takes a couple minutes, but eventually Zach stops shaking and his breath evens out to match Gray’s. Eventually, Gray feels his eyes dry, and he smiles into Zach’s shirt.

“You’ve been a lot nicer since the island,” Gray says, and feels Zach freeze for a moment. Gray hopes that was the right thing to say.

“Yeah, well. I learned that there’s more to life than my phone and my girlfriend.” His voice is dry, but holds a hint of humor, and Gray wants to laugh like it’s the funniest thing in the world. He doesn’t, but picks up his tea from the table and takes a sip to celebrate his victory.

There’s a comfortable silence.

“My tea is cold,” he complains to Zach.

“Drink it anyway,” Zach murmurs.

“But, like - it’s cold,” Gray whines, eyes looking up pleadingly.

“Oh my gosh, dude. Fine.” Zach untangles himself and picks up the mug, walking to the kitchen.

And as he stands there, warming up his little brother’s tea, grumbling about being a slave even as Gray yells thank you from the living room, Zach thinks that maybe - just maybe - things could be okay after all.

Maybe.


End file.
